The early days of an independent seed company located in the south west of Ireland. Motivated by a desire to have more diversity in our food system – most importantly, on our plates. The main aim is to produce quality Irish seed from (mostly) food plants that grow well in Irish conditions. Key to the work is trialing and identifying those varieties that do well in temperate conditions or which may otherwise be interesting. Some things are just grown for the craic.
Why Bother?
As growers in Ireland, we have a near total dependence on imported seed. Most seeds planted here are produced in countries with very different climates to ours. Typically, in hot European countries where seed can ripen consistently and be produced on large scales cheaply. The varieties available are limited and often not well adapted to Irish growing conditions. Before Brexit, we could source varieties saved in a climate more comparable to ours but now we are limited solely to those offered on the continent.
It is precarious to rely on a few countries with large seed sectors and hitherto ideal climates for ripening seed. The seasonal unpredictability of late has highlighted this vulnerability. For example, both droughts and floods in Italy have led to seed crop losses this year. There is a need for a greater number of regional seed companies located in more countries.
All of the seeds you will find here are open-pollinated so you can save your own seed from them hereafter. In time, specific seed saving instructions and other resources will be added to the website to help anyone who wants to do so. Until then, please get in touch if you have any questions about the crops.